The 9 differences between lust and love

These are the keys to distinguish between love and lust in our relationships.

Lust and love are usually related to the world of the most intimate interpersonal relationships, although not in the same dimension. One implies intimacy in the sexual, almost exclusively physical and carnal interest, while the other implies a much deeper, emotional and personal intimacy.

There are several differences between lust and love.Although these two feelings can manifest themselves in all relationships at the same time, the truth is that there is always more of one than the other.

Below we will see in depth the definitions of these two feelings, in addition to highlighting each of the main keys to distinguish between lust and love.

Learning to distinguish between lust and love.

Lust and love are two feelings that often come together. It is not that they are considered synonyms, since in the collective ideology in the collective mind, lust is understood as being related to pure sex, while love implies a much deeper and more personal relationship.. But, although it is known that they are two different things, sometimes it is difficult to establish where a lustful relationship ends and a loving one begins.

There can be lust within love and there can be love within lust, it all depends on how you look at it. However, we can separate both concepts, clearly delimit what is lust and what is love, highlighting their differences as we are going to do below, but not before seeing the definitions of these two words.

What is lust?

Normally, lust is understood as the feeling strongly related to the desire to have sexual relations, without committing oneself to the person with whom one has sex.

In the purest lust, the only thing sought is carnal pleasure and there is no expectation of long-term relationships with sexual partners.. The only desire one wants to satisfy is the physiological desire for sex, nothing else.

However, this does not mean that in the long run one cannot develop a certain appreciation for the person one has sex with, and the spark of love begins to emerge. In that case, we would not be talking about pure and simple lust, but rather about a transition period between meeting a sexual partner and becoming a loving partner. If this is not the case, if we only have sex without any kind of love interest or concern for the other person, we would be talking about pure and simple lust.

In this feeling the only interest there is about the other person is about his or her physical appearance.. It could be said that both involved in the sexual relationship only see the other as a mere tool to achieve their immediate pleasure, a sexual object, although this is not necessarily a bad thing if both have agreed that it is only sex that they have with each other.

The signs of lust are desire, passion and intense physical sensations. It is a pleasure-based feeling that only needs the gratification of one's own needs.

What is love?

Love is a strong feeling that usually involves affection and care.. Culturally, it is understood that in a love relationship there is a high degree of commitment between two people, who share desires and have genuine intentions to make each other feel good.

When one is in love, one wants very much for the relationship to last, for there to be an expectation of being together for the long term and for the emotions of the two lovers to grow over time.

When someone loves another person, he gives him respect and desires him in every aspect of his being, and even, is capable of sacrificing his or her own desires in order to satisfy and bring happiness to the other person..

Thus, we can see that in love there is fidelity, loyalty, commitment, trust and sacrifices for each other, basing their relationship on the need to be in the company of the other person and feel that they are happy. Love is that feeling that inspires to give the best of oneself.

A healthy love relationship provides peace, security and trust. It demands nothing more than the benefit of the other. It is more interested in the emotional and psychological than in the physical appearance.

Main differences between these two feelings

Now that we have seen the definitions of lust and love, let's proceed to put in comparison their main differences:

Fundamental difference: sentimental involvement 2.

Love is a strong feeling, which is related to emotions such as affection and care towards the other person. Lust is, almost exclusively, the desire to have sexual relations with another person regardless of his or her emotions and well-being..

2. Commitment

Love implies a commitment between two people with genuine intentions, while in lust no one is committed to anything.

3. Duration

Love is a feeling that is expected to last for the long term, even for a lifetime.even to be present for a lifetime. In contrast, lust implies a short, merely temporary interaction between two people, a relationship that will last as long as the sexual desire lasts.

• You may be interested in, "How long does falling in love last?"

4. Intensity over time

True love tends to increase over time, while lust tends to decrease over time. lust decreases as the sexual pleasure is satisfied, or, also, it ends up becoming or, also, eventually turns into love.

5. Signs of these emotions

As we have seen, the signs of love are fidelity, commitment, trust, loyalty, and sacrifices by both partners.. On the other hand, lust is more related to carnal desire, passion and intense emotions at the moment of satisfying the sexual need.

6. Needs

Love is based on the feeling that the person wants the best for the other person. In the case of lust, on the other hand, this is based on the pleasure of satisfying one's own gratification, which is sexual desire.

7. Personal satisfaction

In a loving relationship one obtains peace, security and the feeling that one can offer and enjoy an ideal environment to generate trust. The only effect of lust is sexual satisfaction, although, if this need is not satisfied, it can bring with it a sense of frustration and frustration, can bring with it feelings of frustration and tension..

8. Value of physical appearance

In love, the physical appearance of the partner is more secondary, prioritizing their mental health, emotional well-being and inner needs. In contrast, In lust, one is concerned only with physical appearance.leaving aside the emotions and concerns of the other.

9. Feelings towards the other

When you love a person, you see the other person as a person who deserves respect and you wish the best for him or her.. In the relationship of lust, although it does not mean that you wish any harm to the other person, the other person is perceived simply as a tool with which to obtain sexual satisfaction.